The Dallas Cowboys defeated Washington 44-17 to finish the season with a 12-4 record, the NFC East title, and a wild card round playoff game against the Detroit Lions. In the game, DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant each set team records. It was a remarkable month for Dallas, which had seen December end their playoff hopes the past three years. They scored 41, 38, 42, and 44 points. In the last three games, they showed a clear ability to get off to a fast start.


 

They are arguably the hottest team in the NFL, with both offense and defense playing the best they have all year. It has turned into a remarkable season for a team that was considered to be one of the worst in the league in August. 

Instead of going to work on who to draft, the team still has football games to play. It has been five years since the last playoff appearance for the Cowboys. Most of that time has been under head coach Jason Garrett, and this is very much the result of his vision and coaching. Taking a long term approach from the first day he took the job midway through the disastrous 2010 season, he had to completely remake the approach of the team. Instead of going with high dollar free agents, he wanted to build through the draft. He had to convince his boss Jerry Jones to be patient while he got the team to where it could win. He did so without tanking. Although there was growing frustration after he led the team to three consecutive 8-8 seasons, the team went down to the wire each of those seasons.

It was not until this season finale that Dallas played in a meaningless game, and this was because Dallas already had its playoff spot locked up. Under Jason Garrett (since he got the head coaching job permanently to start the 2011 season, Dallas has never started a game when it did not have a chance to get to the postseason. Never.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing that Garrett did this season was to completely change the character of his team. For the first three years of his tenure, Dallas was clearly a pass first offense. It relied on Tony Romo to win the game, largely because there were other flaws. But he could not do this often enough (although he clearly won his share of the games mainly through his efforts) This season they definitely became a run oriented, ball control team. It was a major change, and it was also unusual. In most situations where this happens, it is because there has been a coaching change or a change at one or more of the major skill positions on offense. But the Cowboys did this with the same head coach, the same quarterback, the same running back, and only one significant new player on offense, rookie right guard Zack Martin (who is a legitimate offensive rookie of the year candidate). And they were incredibly successful. One very unexpected side benefit was that Romo became even more effective when he did not have to take the load primarily on his shoulders every game.

After the years of futility, this should be a reason for celebration. In the fanbase of the Cowboys, it certainly is. But in the place that matters the most, the team itself, this is just a stepping stone. Jason Garrett made that point about winning the NFC East, and he made it again in the locker room after the win over Washington. The Cowboys are a team with one objective, and that is to win the last game of the NFL season in February.

Four months ago, that was seen as a laughable goal for them by almost everyone. Now, as Terry Bradshaw remarked in the FOXSports postgame show, it is hard to imagine anyone beating the Cowboys. They are on fire, and more importantly, they believe they can win this all. Garrett's much questioned plan to play his starters looks to have paid off. There were no major injuries, they added a dominant win, and they kept the momentum going strong.

It looks like the coach knows what he is doing.